WHEELED SUCTION CLEANERS

ASPIRATEUR SUR ROUES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A wheeled suction cleaner with endless tracks is driven by a turbine
actuated by water flowing through the cleaner. To enable the cleaner
to be steered, the turbine also drives an eccentric mass which momentarily
lessens the adhesion of the cleaner to the surface on which it works.
Steering is effected by a motor also driven by water flowing through
the device which intermittently and at intervals turns a spigot on
the cleaner which is connected to a flexible suction hose.

Claims

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVELEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:-
A method of applying steering forces to a wheeled suction head for
cleaning submerged surfaces which suction head is connected to a suction
system by means of a flexible suction hose, is connected to the hose
along an axis normal to the surface to be cleaned and has wheels driven
by a motor actuated by water flowing through the head to the hose with
the improvement of causing the rotor of the drive motor in addition to
driving the wheels to drive an eccentric weight which imparts a rocking
motion to the head, so that from time to time adhesion of the head to the
surface is disturbed and any steering force can take effect more readily.
2.
The method of claim 1 with the improvement of causing the flowing liquid
to apply a torque about the axis of the suction hose at some zone along
its length, which torque is used or released to turn the head about its
connecting axis to the suction hose.
3.
The method claimed in claim 2 in which torque is applied alternately in
opposed directions about the axis of the suction hose.
4.
The method claimed in claim 3 in which the zone at which the torque is
applied is the connection of the hose to the cleaner head.

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5.
A suction cleaning head comprising:
a housing with an inlet in its base and a connection normal to the base
for connection to a suction hose;
a water driven turbine positioned in the path of liquid flowing from the
inlet to the connection;
wheels on the housing supporting it for travel on the surface to be
cleaned; and
motion transmitting means between the turbine and at least one wheel;
with the improvement of an eccentric weight driven by the turbine which
imparts a rocking motion to the housing so that from time to time
adhesion of the head to the surface is disturbed for any steering force
to take effect more readily.
6.
The cleaning head claimed in claim 5 in which the improvement of a spigot
serving as a connection for attachment to a suction hose and journalled
for rotation relatively to the housing, a drive gear fast with the
spigot, a bypass to the path of liquid flowing through the housing, a
water turbine positioned in the bypass and caused to rotate by liquid
flowing in the bypass, a gear train between the turbine and the drive
gear and means for intermittently blocking and unblocking the bypass so
that the turbine applies torque to the drive gear intermittently and for
short periods of time.
7.
The cleaning head claimed in claim 6 in which the bypass has two
branches, each arranged to cause the turbine to rotate in another
direction and with which the branches are alternatively unblocked.
8.
The cleaning head claimed in claim 7 in which the blocking and unblocking
device is a valve plate driven at a slow speed by a water motor also by
actuated by water sucked through the connection.

Description

0525~31
BACKGROUND TO THE INVE~TION
This invention relates to wheeled suction cleaners for cleaning submerged
surfaces.
Cleaners of the kind in question are known. They may have a set of
5 wheels of which at least one pair is driven or the~ may have endless
track.s for propulsion along the submerged surface. The driving power is
obtained from a turbine or water mokor powered by the liquid flowing
through the cleaner.
~leaners of the kind in question are held to a surface to be cleaned by
10 the suction force of the liquid being drawn into the cleaner. With the
strong adhesion of the cleaner to the surface due to suction and the
necessity for traction between the wheels or endless track and the
surface, it is dif~icult to cause such a cleaner to be steered. Such
devices have in the past not been successfully steered.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
.
The present invention provides a method of applying steering forces to a
wheeled suction head for cleaning submerged surfaces which suction head
is connected to a suction system by means of a flexible suct-ion hose, is
5 connected to the hose along an axis normal to the surface to be cleaned
and has wheels driven by a motor actuated by water flowing through the
head to the hose, with the improvement of causing the rotor of the drive
motor in addition to driving the wheels to drive an eccentric weight
which imparts a rocking motion to the head, so that from time to time
10 adhesion of the head to the surface is disturbed and any steering force
can take effect more readily.
The invention also provides the further improvement of causing the
flowing liquid to apply a torque about the axis of the suction hose at
some zone along its length, which torque is used or released to turn the
15 head about its connecting axis to the suction hose.
The torque may be applied alternately in opposed directions about the
axis of the suction hose.
The zone` at which the torque is applied is conveniently the connection of
the hose to the cl~aner head.
20 A suction cleaning head according to the invention connprises a housing
with an inlet in i~s base and a connection normal to the base for
connection to a suction hose;
a water driven turbine positioned in tne path of liquid flowing from the
inlet to the connection;
25 wheels on the housing supporting it for travel on the surface to be
cleaned, and
motion transmitting means between-the turbine and at least one wheel;
with the improvement of an eccentric weight driven by the turbine which
imparts a rocking motion to the housing so that from time to time
30 adhesion of the head to the surface is disturbed for any steering force
to take effect more readily.

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The head may further have a spigot serving as a connection for attachment
to a suction hose and journalled for rotation relatively to the housing7
a drive gear fast with the spigot; a bypass to the path of liquid
flowing through the housing; a water turbine positioned in the bypass
5 and caused to rotate by 1i4uid flowing in the bypass, a gear train
between the turbine and the drive gear and means for intermittently
blocking and unblocking the bypass so that the turbine applies torque to
the drive gear intermittently and for short periods of time.
The bypass may have two branches, each arranged to cause the turbine to
10 rotate in another direction and with the branches are alternatively
unblocked.
The blocking and unblocking device may be a valve plate driven at a slow
speed by a water motor also actuated by water sucked through the
connection.
15 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWIN
It is a diagrammatic section through a cleaner according to the
invention.
- DESCRIPTION OF AN EM~ODIMENT
In the drawing a suction head has a turbine chamber 10 with an inlet 11
20 and a turbine 12 in the chamber 10. The turbine drives a shaft 13
through a chain or belt 14. A pair of wheels 15 on the shaft 14 carry
endless tracks which also extend over wheels 17 at the other end of the
cleaner.
The device thus far described is no more than a known endless track
25 suction cleaner. The first improvement provided by the invention is that
there is a weight 18 carried by the rotor 12. As the weight 1~ goes
round it rocks the whole body of the cleaner so that the track 16
momentarily loses its grip on the surface on which it runs. It is thus
possible for the steering mechanism described below to become operative.

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Attached to the chamber 10 are two compartments 30 and 31. In the upper
compartment 30 there is a reversible turbine 32. Two inclined passa~es
34 port in the compartment 30 and in the compartment 31 at the ports 35
and 36. The ports in the compartment 31 are controlled by a valve plate
5 33 the operation of which will be described later on. The outlet from
the compartment 31 is at 37. The compartment 31 is formed with two
spaced perforated walls 34 between which is housed a filter medium such
as stainless steel wool. Water can thus reach the ports in the
compartment 31.
10 On the outlet 12 there is rotatably mounted a hose connection 40 which
carries a large gear wheel 41 and is connected to a suction hose 50. A
pinion 42 on a shaft 43 meshes with the gear wheel 41. At its lower end
the shaft 43 carries a gear 44 which meshes with a pinion 45 on the shaft
46 of the turbine 32. If the turbine 32 rotates, it will thus apply a
15 high slow speed torque to the connection 40.
In the compartment 31 there is also housed a water motor of the type used
with oscillating sprinklers and geared down to give a reduction of the
order of 2000: 1. Water passing through the walls 34 enter the motor
through an inlet 50 and passes into the howsing 10 through an outlet 51.
20 The rotor of the water motor has been shown as 52 in Figure 2. The
ultimate output of the motor 52 is at a shaft 53 which drives the valve
plate 33 which is resiliently biased upwarclly.
As the motor 52 rotates the valve plate 33 alternately covers and
uncovers the ports 35 and 36 with relatively long periods when both ports
25 are covered. As a port 35 and 36 is uncovered the turbine 32 applies a
torque to the connection 40 which is in use attached to a flexible hose.
The hose will resist the turning movement and the nett effect is that the
whole device tl~rns around the axis of the connection 40. When the then
open port is closed, the device will be facing a random new direction
30 usually more or less opposite to its original direction. Of course, the
running of the turbine 13 will constantly tend to move the device in its
forward direction at any given time so that in turn a sort of spiral
movement will take place.

3L2QS2S~9
Briefly then the rotation of the turbine 12 causes the track 16 to
run in one direction for the device to move in that direction.
Due to the weight 18 track adhesion is diminished periodically.
The motor 52 runs continuously and from time to time opens a port
35 or 36 which causes the turbine 32 to apply a torque to the con-
nection 40 and to cause a change of direction either to the left
or to the right in the direction of movement while adhesion is
diminished.
Alternatively or in addition the device described above, i.e. with
lQ the weight 18, may be steered by the method and means described in
the Canadian Patent Application No. 430,420.
As a further alternative the device may be steered by driven means
such as the turbine assembly described above acting at any point
on the suction hose, for example, at the point where -the hose is
plugged into the permanent plumbing of the pool, or at a floating
surface skimmer which forms another part of a system for cleaning
the pool.